FFA & 4H 2023

SHEEP & GOAT BARN

We are excited about the continued expansion of our TUSD Farm! In addition to a Beef Barn , Swine Barn , orchards , greenhouse, and gardens, we will soon begin construction on a new Sheep and Goat Barn. We are always seeking new community partners to support the TUSD Farm . . . just reach out!

SHARON HOFFMAN

KRISTINA HACKER

JULIE ROSE

TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT SPECIAL SECTION CONTACT THE ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT AT (209) 634-9141.

THE VALUE OF HISTORY

As the first irrigation district in California, TID has been a pioneer in providing irrigation water for over 135 years and retail power for 100 years

TUSD Farm continues to grow

BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA

This year marked the 10-year anniversary of the Turlock Unified School District Farm at 625 E. Taylor Rd. As the school district reflects on the past decade, there is also an abundance of planning for the farm’s future.

This year, the TUSD Farm continued to host students from across the district. Younger students from the elementary and middle schools planted crops and picked fresh produce during their visits to the farm, while older students from Turlock High and Pitman High participating in their respective FFA chapters paid regular visits to care for their animals. And when they weren’t on the grounds of the farm, all students enjoyed things like peaches, almonds, walnuts, plums, broccoli and carrots and more as part of their daily lunches.

Although it may seem that things are business as usual, a million-dollar project for the farm has been in the works.

Throughout the course of the 20222023 academic year, the TUSD Board

of Trustees have received updates on a plan to install a brand-new, state of the art sheep and goat facility at the school farm.

The facility is described as a metal building with an extended covered barn of approximately 5,500 square feet. The planned project will also include a unisex restroom, an office and a storage space. Though goats and sheep have been present at the TUSD Farm in the past alongside cows and pigs, the facility will allow even more animals to be welcomed while having them reside in spaces specifically tailored to their needs. The project is estimated to cost an estimated $1,200,000, which will be paid for by Career Technical Education grant funds from the State of California.

“Providing students opportunities to expand their leadership, knowledge and agricultural experiences is a priority at the TUSD Farm,” said Farm coordinator Hali Bream. “A sheep and goat barn facility will increase the opportunity for agriculture students to house Supervised

Agriculture Experience (SAE) projects here at the farm.”

At the last TUSD Board meeting of the academic year on Tuesday, June 6, the District was authorized to solicit bids for the project. According to Scott

Richardson, TUSD director of maintenance and operations, shared that the goal is to have the project going up for bid in early fall in August or September. After that, they hope to have the facility completed by May.

“It’s a pretty quick timeline,” Richardson said.

Board member Mary Jackson described the authorization of bids as “great news,” with her peers nodding in agreement.

Additional updates on the TUSD Farm can be found on its official social media channels - @TUSD_Farm on Instagram and at @TUSDFarm on Twitter.

Austin Bell selected as FFA State President

BY JULIE ROSE

Austin Bell has enjoyed a successful 4-H and FFA career throughout his academic years at Our Lady of Miracles Catholic School and Gustine High School. He is no stranger to achieving his goals and pursuing his dreams. And now, he is about to venture on a tremendous journey that he earned by being true to himself and his ideals, following his passion for FFA and the motto Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.

The latter being his personal goal. His new journey begins right away and he is excited to begin.

Austin graduated from GHS on June 2. In about two weeks he will leave his family and home to move into the house at the California FFA center in Galt where he will live with five other state officers for a year. The team will travel the state, visiting chapters on campuses throughout the six FFA state regions. They will also host leadership conferences and training events helping to guide members to self-discovery

and building their strengths. They will meet with leaders in the Agriculture industry and share what they learn with the FFA community. They will serve that community in preparation for the State Conference in the spring of 2024 where a new slate of officers will be elected and their own adventure will start coming to a close.

Being a state officer for California FFA is a tremendous honor and a huge commitment. Only six members of the over 100, 000 members statewide receive the honor each year. And it’s quite the process.

Applications are submitted months before the actual election. Zoom interviews are held to wind the field of candidates

down to 49, then down to the 30 that proceed through live interviews at the state conference. Each morning starts with interview sessions and each day the finalist list is reduced. When the final 12 are determined, the general membership gets involved.

Austin remembers being behind the stage of the arena waiting to be called upfront to answer questions in front of the members. Keep in mind, when applying to be a state officer, no position is specified. Until the final announcement, Austin had no idea, if he was elected, in what capacity he would be serving. He only knew he wanted to serve in whatever position was meant for him to fill.

“It’s enough of an honor just to be a state officer,” Austin shared. He chose to apply for office because he wants to serve. “And this is a way to fulfill that life’s purpose.” On a separate personal level he looked forward to what he could learn and the people he’d meet that could justify him taking a year off of college and possibly earn-

After a year of working together, a common goal of making an impact on as many people as possible, knowing we’ve done all we could together as a team, building a positive and true relationship, should all be visible when they take the stage next spring.

ing an income.

Sunday night, the last session of the conference, the 12 finalists stand in front of the packed arena, including the delegates who vote for the slate of six officers they want to serve this year. Two candidates are called forward for a particular office. The winner is announced. Another two called forward and another officer declared. This continued and Austin hadn’t been called yet. A couple rounds and he knew he was running for the office of President. The moment became somewhat surreal as the announcement was made and he realized he had just been elected as the California FFA State President.

The six new officers were given their new jackets, the crowd applauded wildly, confetti dropped and the flash from cameras came from all angles. In that moment, Austin recalled, he felt an overwhelming feeling of excitement and confidence. He had been elected President by his peers. He also felt relief from the process that had been exhilarating, but also draining and exhausting. He had tears. Tears of joy, tears of relief, tears of amazement. He recalls zipping up his new jacket and straightening up. He enjoyed the unbelievable moment and is grateful for the opportunities now before him.

Officially, Austin took office that day which was March 19. However, the retiring officers carried on some of the duties to allow the new officers to finish school. They will report to the state center June 18 and get to work. And that means seriously, get to work. There is a lot to learn, to plan, to organize in actually a short time before the new school year begins and chapters are expecting to see them on their campus. First thing on the to do list, Austin said, is to dream big for the next state conference. A theme is chosen that will be used all year leading into the conference. The team will work together to address the question of what CA FFA needs to hear, needs to learn, this year, and from there develop their theme.

This summer they will create the workshop that will be used when visiting chapters. They will review the chapter applications and plan their schedules to visit as many as possible once school is back in session. They will go on industry tours

and meet with industry leaders. They will attend the ag teachers conference. They will guide regional leadership. They will plan the annual leadership conferences for younger members and the Advanced Leadership program for upperclassmen, leading up to the state conference in spring.

“My goal is for us to be on that stage as one team reflecting a genuine love for one another,” Austin described. “After a year of working together, a common goal of making an impact on as many people as possible, knowing we’ve done all we could together as a team, building a positive and true relationship, should all be visible when they take the stage next spring.”

Austin is ready for the leadership role of President but he sees his duties no more important as the other offices. He believes they truly are a team and although the president has some extra responsibilities, each member is of the same value. They are a team of six. Their job is to serve others; they are humble spirits.

As state officers, Austin believes they are servant leaders. They should be seen as approachable by others, be friendly and courteous, personable, relatable, and genuine. State officers can be intimidating to members, especially younger members. Austin sees the team as responsible to create the tone when they visit schools where members feel welcome to ask them questions and want to share their ideas.

The officers will often travel in pairs so more chapters can be visited in a region. Everyone will reassemble in between and share their experiences before preparing for the next event.

The year should be one for the books, a chance of a lifetime, one to remember forever. “If I helped at least one kid know who they are, I will be satisfied with my year in office,” Austin shared.

FFA is a program that benefits every student. There is something for everyone and Austin hopes to inspire students to experience all that FFA has to offer. He hopes to make a difference in support of the ag industry.

Austin Bell is the second state officer elected from Gustine FFA in the history of the chapter. George Schmidt served as State Reporter for 1956-57.

Pictured in the photo: Bud Garton at the Stanislaus County Fair livestock auction

Photo contributed Austin Bell of Gustine is the California State FFA President for 2023-24.

influencing senior lifestyles

Turlock FFA: Year in Review

BY ALEXIS DIAS Chapter Reporter

Since the beginning, Turlock FFA has placed its focus on being a chapter centered around community, learning, and leadership. As we take a look back towards what this year has consisted of we can acknowledge that Turlock FFA has had visible success in obtaining that focus. We have been able to hold events such as banquets, booster dinners, and meetings. We have also been able to expand the learning of our members on Trips to National and State FFA conventions as well as MFE and ALA leadership conferences. Turlock FFA has been successful at numerous field days including Cal Poly State Finals, and have been able to hold community service events to better the community that supports us.

This year Turlock FFA has taken advantage of any opportunity that might help teach our members about the importance of serving our community. We have worked with Jessica’s house, delivered flowers to Brendel Manor, held toy drives and worked with Can Tree at their Breakfast, held a clothes and blanket drive for the We Care Men’s Shelter, and worked the Modesto Model A Club Annual Swap Meet. We hold an annual meeting dedicated to gathering canned food to donate to those in need, which we call “Trick or Treat for Cans.” We hold this meeting around Halloween time and give our members the opportunity to dress up in Halloween costumes and go door to door asking for any canned donations, with the team with the most cans often being given a prize. This year we

were able to squeeze in as many community service events as we could, and are hoping to increase to even more opportunities next year!

Turlock FFA offers a wide selection of Judging and Speaking events. These events can range from Dairy Judging, Veterinary Science, Floral Judging, Ag mechanics and Vegetable Crop Judging to Impromptu, Extemporaneous, Job interview, Creed and Opening and Closing speaking events. We also offered the newest added speaking team the Spanish Creed, and had many students compete in it. For our speaking events we had about 10 students surpass the local, and sectional level and make it to regionals. We were also able to see two of our own students attend State speaking at Fresno State. Jaden Loflin attended for Creed speaking and Amelia Bettencourt attended for Job interview, both placing in the top 24 in the state and making Turlock FFA proud. We offer a wide selection of ways for members to get more involved in Turlock FFA no matter what your interests may be, and this year we are proud to honor the success we have had. Turlock FFA also sent the Vine Pruning team to compete in state Finals for vine pruning and had DJ Curtis place 8th high individual in the State.

We were also able to take our Judging teams to Cal Poly State Finals at the end of the Judging season. There we were able to witness some of the success of our members. Our Dairy Judging Team Placed Second High team in the state with three high individuals. From our Dairy Judging team we had Teresa Sousa

placing Fourth High Individual, Madison Blount as Fifth High individual, and Jon Chapman as Sixth High individual. In Agricultural Mechanics Logan Ladd placed 6th High individual. We also had both our Vegetable Crop Judging Team and Floral Judging Teams placed Seventh High team in the state. As Fair approaches we can look back on this year's success as we get a peak of this upcoming fair. Already we have had success in Horse Showmanship with Betsy Theis as Reserve Champion High Point Western Winner, and Avery Bettencourt as English Senior Champion. We continue to take pride in the dedication and success of our members as we look forward to seeing what this year holds for our members.

Turlock FFA was able to offer many opportunities this year for students to travel to new places and to learn more about Leadership and themselves. We were able to bring thirty FFA members to Indianapolis, Indiana for the National FFA Convention and expo. There students were given the opportunity to listen to nationally acclaimed speakers, meet people from all over the country, visit booths from colleges around the country, and were able to attend workshops to learn more about leadership. While we were there we were able to tour places such as Ball Nursery, Purdue University, University of Notre Dame, and many tourist sites around Chicago. Turlock FFA members got two watch two Turlock FFA alumni, Deegan Walters and

Wyat Wool, obtain the highest degree achievable in the FFA, The American Degree. We also had students attend conferences like Made For Excellence and Advanced Leadership Academy which are conferences held for FFA members all over California. At MFE/ALA students were able to discover new leadership skills and be up close with State FFA officers to learn from their experiences as well. Our members also attended the California State FFA Convention in Ontario, California. At State, our students were able to attend workshops, meet people from around the state, listen to speakers like “Girls Eat Beef Too” and we were able to witness the new officer team be announced in the final session. Some of our members had success at the State Convention, as Logan Ladd received the California Almond Board Scholarship, and Morgan Johns placed third in Agriscience Division 3! At a separate time from the State Convention we were able to witness four-

teen of our members obtain their California State FFA Degree this year. This year we were able to witness the learning and success of many of our members and we are excited to continue working towards big things year after year. Here at Turlock FFA we like to emphasize the importance of advocating for agriculture to others. One of the ways we do this on a small scale is our National FFA Week celebration. Our week was full of petting zoos, games, raffles, tractors and dress up days throughout our school to get others intrigued into learning more about agriculture. FFA week effectively brings in new members and inspires others to learn more about the industry. One of our other ways of advocating for agriculture and for the FFA is through our recruitment. We send groups of students to middle schools around the area to recruit people to be more interested in FFA. Along with this we also send some students to give career presentations at

elementary schools to expose them to the importance of agriculture. We also offer tours through the school farm, where we have students at stations ready to teach elementary school students about different entry level aspects of Agriculture.

As we advocate for leadership and opportunity to our members we were able to send two members to run for Sectional Office. With Alexis Dias making the Sentinel position at a Sectional Level. Our annual Spring awards banquet is where we announce awards from the year regarding dedication, scholarship recipients, honorary members and more. This year at our Seventies Disco themed banquet we were able to honor our members and elect the new fall office team. The Fall officer Team for the 2023 school year consists of Alexis Dias as President, Lexiah Lopez as Vice president, Madison Simmons as Secretary, Katheryn Gutierrez as Treasurer, Grecia Rios as Reporter and Magali Perez as Sentinel. Spring Banquet was a night full of smiles and goodbyes as we prepared to say goodbye to the seniors, and getting ready to tie this year off with a bow.

As we review the success of this year it is important to acknowledge the dedication of our members and Teachers who have enhanced our chapter to this point, but also to reflect on how to improve it to make next year an even better year than this one was. We are continuously proud of our members and look forward to documenting their success in the year ahead of us.

Pitman FFA: Year in review

The 2022-2023 school year held great success and accomplishments for the Pitman FFAChapter. There were numerous events and activities giving the members opportunities to gain leadership, teamwork, communication, time management, and commitment skills!

Each month the chapter had meetings with entertainment, fun activities, music, and a snack for bonding upon all members of our chapter! This year, the Pitman FFA chapter focused on creat-

ing new traditions. The newest addition to the chapter being the Fall Festival. We had ourfirst Fall Festival in November with craft and food vendors, games, and prizes all free and open to the community!

Along with the monthly meetings, the chapter was committed to have a community service act each month that got all members involved. This year our two largest community service events were the school supply drive and the valen-

tines cards for the nearby retirement/ senior living facility. Our members came together and donated close to 500 school supplies to be donated to Jessica’s House, a community rehabilitation and support center for all age groups! Around 200 valentine cards were hand delivered to the senior living residence by hand by the chapter officer team!

Our annual Tri-Tip Dinner Fundraiser in October had over 900 tickets sold with all proceeds going to supporting our chapter throughout the year! We had our members working hard the week leading up to dinner night doing all tasks from preparing meal bags to handing out and working the ticket stand during the event.

As a part of the FFA organization's mission, our chapter competed in a large variety of speaking and skill/knowledge based competitions. All in efforts to grow the member’s abilities. This year we had many members compete in speaking competitions making it to the regional level! As well as the C.D.E (career development event) competition.

In July, we will be exhibiting our animals at the Stanislaus County Fair. We have 50 exhibitors this year with animals at the fair and we can’t wait to see how they do in the show ring. Our students

would love the community’s support and hope to see you all there! The dates are July 7th-16th with various shows for all species happening throughout the week during the day.

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Turlock Eagles 4-H

My name is Clare Dasilva. I am the reporter for the Turlock Eagles 4-H Club. I have been in 4-H for 3 years and have been an officer for 2 years. I have learned many valuable things in 4-H such as learning how to take care of animals and responsibility. But 4-H is not just about animals, there are many other projects in 4-H such as communication, marine biology, creative arts, and many more. Our club is also involved in community services projects. Some of the projects include Christmas caroling and cards for senior homes, homeless shelter meals, Turlock Together, Love Turlock and other events to help out the community.

The marine biology project group did an activity this year that involved cleaning up beaches. They went to Rio Del Mar beach and walked 4 miles to Paharo Dunes picking up trash and educating other people on keeping the beach clean and protecting ocean life. While walking the beach, they filled up two 30 gallon trash bags.

I had the opportunity to interview two of our members. Let’s start with Sophie Smith our club secretary.

“My favorite leader that influenced me the most was Colleen, who leads our communication project. Colleen has taught me new communication and writing skills. Something that I have learned in 4-H was how to grow in my community and help when not asked."

I also was able to interview our healthy living officer, Peyton Cundiff.

“My favorite leader is Julie, who leads our Disney Lovers, Foods and

Creative Arts projects. The reason she is my favorite leader is because she helps keep people entertained and always has fun things planned. Something that I learned while in 4-H is how to be a good leader and how to take care of animals better.”

We start every meeting with a Pledge so I thought I would end this article with it: “As a true 4-H member, I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and

my world.”

If you would like to know more about our club or have youth that might want to join 4-H, please visit Stanislaus County 4-H online or our club website at turlockeagles4h@weebly.com

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